Wednesday, April 27, 2011

On Monday night we pretended we were camping and sparked a (contained) fire in our backyard.

There was twirling action.

There was another dodgily nutritious dinner of baked beans on toast, followed by popcorn. There was a firelight story and then I went to bed in my thirties and woke up the next morning and just like that...

Well.

Startlingly, this means I’m officially, (sort-of) growed-up.

I decided that it was high time for one of those giveaway whatsits and have thunk long and hard as to what that giveaway might be – inbetween all the angsting over the mid-life crisis stuff. Then it was all entirely obvious.

I could throw myself out of a plane with a parachute attached (still haven’t entirely given up on this notion), or buy myself a little red corvette number – complete with co-ordinating blonde, or I could ‘do’ a tattoo. TATTOO...

Perfect.

Should you wish to be in the running to win an embroidered, mid-life crisis tattoo,

which may be worn on your ankle, like so:

or on your upper arm, like so:

or on your derrière, like so:

(or you could morph it into a pincushion or do whatever you like, really)

then it’s time to leave a comment.

But wait! There’s more! Your commenty entry makes you simultaneously eligible for the remainder of the giveaway which includes more me-made stuff:

Two rare-as-hens-teeth (can’t believe I even had them), screenprinted, 100% linen teatowels:

Twopacks of cards printed on Italian cotton paper, which cater for everything from apologies to thank yous to birthdays to blankety blanks:

Entries are open to one and all. There is no requirement for climbing through hoops and I am happy to post to faraway lands. Please do ensure there is some way for me to contact you via your comment. Entries close the strike of midnight (Melbourne time), this Sunday, May 1st. I’ll post the winner sometime Monday.

But wait! There IS more!

Because I can’t embroider a mid-life crisis for you all, I have made the tattoo pattern design available for you HERE. Just on the off chance anyone else hits forty and would like to craft their way through therapy...

xxx

.........................

PS. If anyone has the chutzpah to actually, seriously tattoo the thing – like on real skin – I’M TALKIN’ TO YOU JODIE, please may I have a pic for my blog header.

PPS. One day in and I confess – I’m already getting used to this aged thing.

Happy Birthday! I'm totes going to live to be 160 so I shan't be expecting a mid-life crisis until I'm 80. That doesn't mean I won't be happy to reap the bounty from yours though, oh no, happy to do that. And if I win... well. Craft tattoos seriously considered... ;)

Oh my goodness, such a giveaway, it makes my knees weak! Love the tattoo it's amazing :) I love your blog and your work (one of your cards is hanging in our bathroom) I love the way you write, it's all awesome. Happy Happy Birthday.Hugsdeb xx

Tania, we're almost birthday twins - I turn the big 4-0 in approx 2.5 weeks and am trying to just breathe... now I just want it over so I can relax. Good news that it feels OK to be on the other side!! Love the giveaway, sounds like a bit of pain relief. Oh, come on 40, come and get me ;-)

aww Happy birthday, with the slight chance of bringing more "stuff" home as my other half calls my craft things I'm entering this contest haha. I love the mish mashness of your prizes, and why are you gifting when isn't in reality you should be the one getting gifts? again Happy birthday.

Happy Birthday!!! Sounds like it was a really wonderful night! i have to say, i think that this giveaway is very special, and i think your embroidered mid life crisis tattoo is a hoot! really original and creative!!! i hope 40 is the best year for you yet, and only gets better with each and many years to come!!!xo

Happy Birthday! I like to think 40 is no where near mid, I'm aiming for at least 120!I'm definitley putting my hat in the ring for this giveaway, I have one of your T towels and dry the dishes tea towels and my lord they really are the best. I've been meaning to let you know, I can't believe how much better they are than every other tea towel I have or have ever had, they just suck the water right in, no rubbing or effort involved.

#1 Happy Birthday#2 People are living much longer these days so really you can wait until 45 to feel mid-lifey :)#3 Love that you embroidered a tatoo!#4 Awesome giveaway - would love to win but if I don't, I hope whoever receives this awesome loot shows us what they make out of the tatoo :)

Happy birthday, you are one funny chick... I am new to reading your blog, but I love it all, and what an incredible give away & such gorgeous stuff! *sigh* Anyways, please let me enter... thank you kindly!

Happy birthday, I did the big 40 last year, have been considering the tattoo for the last 22 years but the pain of it keeps it in thought mode only!!! So an embroidered one is a much more appealling one:) thanks for the opportunity to enter your very generous giveaway.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR TANIA, happy birthday to you! I'll have to tuck that little stitched beauty away till I need it next year when I turn 30! Hopefully I handle it as gracefully as you have, my husband sulked for a week after his.

'Life begins at 40, you wonder why you feel so naughty, you may be 40 but you can't stop rockin' to the beat!'I can't remember who sang this 80s novelty song but I reckon he was on the money, in his crappy-catchy-novelty-song kind of way. Happy birthday Tania! You are the blogging bomb-diggity. Live it up with beauty, fire, tattoos and all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! and now I know the date- and I'm going to write it down so I can remember every year and celebrate you!and you know what I say about the tat- chicken!though i do love your "fake" one xo

Congrats on reaching the 40's. I believe that is the age to take no #$%! from anyone! I am loving your blog. As for the tat, yup, I'm too chicken as well. I want one on my ankle, but I have total stick legs so am guessing it should hurt like hell. Maybe I should wait until my 80's when my ankles swell and have more padding.

oh it's not so bad once you turn 40. It's the time leading up to it. Like, you know, you just may wake up as a different person or something. but then you wake up and.. you're the same. not so bad turn 40 three times either.your sharing is most generous. yeah for your birthday!

I turned 40 last month, and am so over it already - the aches and grey hairs started (no word of a lie) the day after my birthday (could be because my husband arranged a party for me at Jamberro Action Park - just what you want on your 40th, parading around in front of relatvies, friends and 10000 strangers in your cossies!)

I turned 40 back in December, don't feel 40 most of the time. Too busy to think about it too much thank goodness. I figure it means I've got another 40 to do all the stuff I've meant to but haven't yetsable at xtra.co.nz

oh my gosh. you did it. and you really are already used to it? you show me the way woman. i am way too obsessed with what is happening to the lines around my eyes. and...this giveaway is for sure, the best giveaway i've ever ever seen in al the internet blogs i've ever seen in this lifetime. and that is a lot. i've only won one before. but it was the coolest camera strap ever, so that was a lucky lucky one.

my word veri is cryteday. i did cry today. it was so needed. i am all better. have you had your cry today ?

Happy Birthday! And by the way, age is just a number baby. It's how you feel that counts.This is a fabulous give away. I've got my eye on Wee Wonderfuls. I borrow this book from the library all the time because my daughter simply loves looking through it. She calls the book Pixie, because that is the first doll in the collection.

Happiest of birthdays, Mrs :) What a fantastic giveaway! Yes please, count in this old girl. May the year ahead be a wondrous realisation that it's really just a number Personally, I found 43 much harder! and then 44 was a breeze again - go figure ;) Have a great day Tania. Kx

Happy Big Growned Up Birthday to you. Hope that you had a great day with your family - what a fab give away.And do jump out of a perfectly fine plane - I did it when I was 17 and will do it again at some stage.

Happy Birthday !! I didn't have time to think about turning 40..I had a baby 2 days before mine. I still think 40 is young & as a youngest child I refuse to ever grow up. Hope you stay just are you are. Love your blog..it always gives me smile..thank you !!

Happy, happy 40th birthday. I turn 49 this year and I still feel like I'm 30 in my head. :) Not so good for teen and young adult daughters in the house. :)Your give away looks fab, please count me in.Keep on celebrating, it's the way to go!Anne xx

OMG what a bag of goodies. I would love to win. Happy birthday! 40 isn't all that bad, in fact I've found that I've had a great time since turning 40 a little while ago :-)eli (at) sharksdinner (dot) com

Happy Birthday Tania! welcome to the 40s. Sometimes, now I'm in my late 40s, I like to peer at the young folk over the top of my glasses - just because I can. I'm sure you'll find a much better use for the wisdom and energy of this decade.

Awesome burny barrel by the way. Nothing like a fire to celebrate just about anything.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANIA!!! Your butt doesn't look a day over 30! I can't believe you are giving away such splendid things when we are the ones who should be giving back to you. If you could, can I have your postal address (send it to me at ecomilf [at] me.com). I'd like to send a little something. xo m.

Happy Birthday beautiful!! See, it's not so bad is it? On a serious note, I had a good, beautiful friend who died when he was only 19, and I was 18, and since then I have always made a point to CELEBRATE my age, as he wasn't able to. Kind of corny I suppose but it sure puts things in perspective. Back to you though, I can't help but notice how you are so good at celebrating all the little and quirky/special things that happen in your life, and your beautiful family too. And not to forget stick insects etc. As for tattoo's, I do have one but I always forget it's there! Yours is much newer & fancier :) Take care Birthday Girl xo Phew...that was a long ramble....

oh my! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!congratulations on four-oh, i'm not too far behind you ;) i've been wanting to do a bit of marshmallow-roasting over a fire on these clear, autumnal, melbourne nights - i think i might just get something set up tomorrow now (thanks for the inspiration/push!)x candice x

Happy Birthday Tania! I like your kind of mid life crisis tattoo... pretty sure that's the closest I'd come to a real one (apart from watching a tattooing take place in the lounge room of our London share house...)

What grace you are greeting your mid-life crisis with. I too am turning 40 this year and I don't want to. Waaaaah! (I've got a few more months to practise grace, though, so hopefully I can follow your example.) Happy Birthday! Hope it's the beginning of an even wonderfuller life.

Happy Birthday! Sounds like you are entering grown-updom with the right attitude.. I hit the big 4O later this year and keep wondering where on earth my 20s and 30s went?!?! Oh, and a wonderfully fab birthday giveaway.. cheers to you!

On one of my many birthdays a long long time ago when my girl kid was 3 Dylan said, "Mommy's old now!" And the girl kid said, "Mommy's not old. Mommy's NEW!" So every birthday from then on out we all get to be new.

Happy birthday lovely girl!!!!I've got RSI from scrolling down through all your birthday messages, (can you tell I'm only about 6 or seven months behind you and getting old and whingy already!)I hope its been wonderful and they've spolied you rotten. xx

Bloody Hell! not about being 40, how fabulous that you officially don't have to care about anything you don't want to anymore. A little bit about your seriously generously almost OTT birthday giveaway... LOVE the tattoo - you have a delightful mind! mostly that you ate baked beans for your birthday dinner?! well at least you rounded them out with sparklers...were they in ham sauce? I am a fan of ham sauce.Happy Birthday to you!

oh yes please enter me, love the idea of sticking the tat on my ass lol :-) Oohh and please pop over to mine to see some real chicks dancing as inspired by your gorgeous felted versions - they are dancing just for your for your birthday lol. x Happy Birthday, hope you had a fab one.

OH, I am IN! My big 40 will be this summer...not sure how I feel about that. I don't think I act anything like a 40 year old...NOTHING like how I perceived my parents were at 40...Everyone says their 40's were better than their 30's and my 30's have been awesome...so...bring it on! Happy Birthday!!!!!

So many wonderful items! I LOVE the tattoo. I keep telling my hubby I want one and he is sooooo against it. This would satisfy us both!! Thanks for the chance and for the embroidery pattern! p.s. 40 is just a baby!!!

This is my first visit to your blog and I'm soooo glad I stopped by...I too will leave the land of the thirties this year, and after reading your words of wisdom I intend to 'craft my way through it' just like you. Hope it doesn't hurt too much! Love your ideas and your gift of the gab. I'll be back. Oh, and happy 40th!!

im at work on a cloudy sunday surrounded by young real estate agents...........and not a sewing machine in sight......and I dont know what a Bieber is?.....thank god for you happy birthday mcnomes17@yahoo.com.au

Yikes, just turned 39 and thinking that 40 sounds way too grown up for the likes of me. I look forward to reading on and hearing how it is out there in 40-land! I am sure you will make it sound pretty fun.

About Me

Mother of three, wife to one, designer and craftster of the slightly obsessive kind. Myrtle and Eunice were two lovely old ladies who connected weekly over the Scrabble tiles. These Saturday battles of will and skill were a ritual as comfy as a hot Milo and handknitted blanket on a frosty day.